author
Shelby M. (Shelby Moore) Cullom
1829–1914
A major Illinois political figure of the 19th century, he spent decades in public office as a congressman, governor, and U.S. senator. His long career placed him at the center of debates over railroads, federal regulation, and the growth of modern government.
1 Audiobook
Fifty Years of Public Service Personal Recollections of Shelby M. Cullom, Senior United States Senator from Illinois
by Shelby M. (Shelby Moore) Cullom
About the author
Born in Wayne County, Kentucky, in 1829, he moved with his family to Illinois as a child and later studied law in Springfield. After being admitted to the bar in 1855, he built a legal career and entered politics during a period of rapid change in the state and the nation.
Cullom went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, as governor of Illinois, and then for many years in the U.S. Senate. He became one of Illinois's best-known Republican leaders, and his public career stretched across roughly half a century.
He is often remembered for his role in the era of railroad oversight and federal regulation, especially because his name became associated with the Cullom Committee, which examined transportation issues in the late 1880s. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1914, leaving behind a long record of public service that linked state politics in Illinois with national questions of commerce and reform.